1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to spray of fluid in a warewashing system and methods therefore. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an arm for spraying fluid within a warewashing system that is arched.
2. Description of Related Art
Warewashing systems have one or more arms that spray fluid, for example, water, onto wares, such as, glasses, utensils, plates, and the like. Warewashing systems may have wash arms and rinse arms. Wash arms recirculate water that includes detergent from a wash tank. Rinse arms within warewashing systems serve dual functions of removing chemical detergent left over after the wash cycle and imparting heat energy (commonly referred to as heat units) to the ware for sanitization purposes.
Arms that spray fluid are critical in warewashing systems to achieve cleanliness and sanitization, with water and detergents and/or sanitizing agents being sprayed from the arms. This spraying causes patterns of pumped wash water, pumped rinse water, pressure rinse water (collectively “water”); detergents; rinse agents and/or sanitizers or air to be dispersed across and amongst the ware being washed throughout the warewashing system. The water imparts/conveys heat to the ware in the warewashing system for sanitizing purposes. The position and number of spray nozzles along a length of an arm and the configuration of the arm itself causes patterns of spray dispersion coverage. The spray may miss some ware in part or entirely, wasting water, detergents, rinse agents and/or sanitizers or air and diminishing wash, rinse or air effectiveness.
In typical warewashing systems, the arms are linear and may be stationary or rotating. The nozzles are arranged along the length of the arm so that angles of spray dispersion are substantially perpendicular to the ware, creating cone-like dispersion patterns 8, as depicted in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a typical arm 10 has standard nozzles 12 distributed along a length 14 of the arm. Arm 10 has a wall 16 that forms a conduit to receive fluid, such as, for example, water. For example, arm 10 may connect to a water source 100 by a connector 18. Water source 100 generates a pressure to provide a flow of the water through wall 16 and out nozzles 12. Each nozzle 12 has a passage therethrough that is substantially perpendicular to the conduit of wall 16. Nozzles 12 yield a spray pattern as in angle A that varies depending upon nozzle size and flow pressure in arm 10. Nozzles 12 may each have a conical aperture, e.g., an opening with a diameter that increases from an end 20 of each of nozzles 12 that is connected to wall 16 to an opposite end 22 of each of nozzles 12 that is free. The conical nozzles also exhibit pattern having angle A that varies along the same parameters. Boundary B is the boundary within which a rack 24 or ware is positioned. Outside of boundary B is an area where water, detergent, rinse agents and/or sanitizers may spray beyond rack 24 or ware in conventional systems, constituting waste W beyond boundary B.
FIG. 1 is a cross section of a spray pattern 29 showing rack 24 sitting along guides 26 at a level L1 at a bottom of a warewashing system. A level L2 is a level at which ware extends above an upper edge of rack 24. A level L3 represents a maximum level at which ware may pass underneath arm 10. A cross sectional area 28 reflects areas within a spray pattern 29 where no water is sprayed. Spray pattern 29 is a spray formed by fluid passing through nozzles 12. Spray pattern 29 would not contact ware within cross sectional area 28. Areas 30-34 indicate areas of spray coverage. Area 30 indicates an area where water, detergent and/or sanitizing agent from one of nozzles 12 impact the ware in rack 24. Area 32 indicates an area where water, detergent and/or sanitizing agent from two nozzles of nozzles 12 combine to impact the ware in rack 24. Area 33 shows a spray coverage of three of nozzles 12 that combine to impact the ware in rack 24. Area 34 shows a spray coverage of four of nozzles 12 that combine that impact the ware in rack 24. Areas marked W show areas that water may miss the ware entirely, and, is wasted. As shown in FIG. 1, areas 33 that have spray coverage of three of nozzles 12 combined that impact the ware and area 34 that has four of nozzles 12 combined that impact the ware are smaller than areas 30 and 32.
Accordingly, it has been determined by the present disclosure, that there is a need for an arm of a warewashing system that has nozzles formed thereon, each forming a spray, to maximize overlap of the sprays of each of the nozzles. There is a further need for an arm that ensures that the water leaving the nozzles of the arm is not wasted by missing an intended target.